Dangerous Animals brings together two of horror’s most popular sub-genres. Zephyr (Hassie Harrison, Yellowstone) is a rebellious surfer who is not interested in anything on land. She is the perfect victim for Tucker (Jai Courtney, The Suicide Squad), a serial killer obsessed with sharks. When she finds herself trapped on his boat, she must find a way to escape before becoming food for the sharks.

It is the perfect premise for an over the top comedy horror. Surprisingly, the film is a tense and creepy affair that is never played for laughs. The premise means there are some wild moments, but Dangerous Animals is a tight psychological horror. The writing does an excellent job of building tension. The plot is constantly moving forward once Zephyr is brought into Tucker’s world. It is an exciting watch that is helped by set pieces which adds to the terror.

The characters are a mixed bag. Courtney is fantastic as the unhinged Tucker. Initially, he is cold and calculating. It is the kind of attitude in serial killers that some mistake as charisma. He commands the screen in every scene that he is in. Things change in the third act following an incident following one of his most cherished possessions. He loses all sense of control and the calm he exuded earlier is replaced by the mania that was hinted at. Tucker is downright frightening.

When Domingo Hindoyan, the Venezuelan chief conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, made his debut with L.A. Opera last November with “Roméo et Juliette,” Times classical music critic Mark Swed called it “a coup for the company.” Swed also wondered if it was a “signal that he is a candidate to succeed Music Director James Conlon, who steps down in 2026?”

It turns out Swed was right.

On Friday, L.A. Opera announced that Hindoyan has been named the company’s Richard Seaver Music Director. He will succeed Conlon, the longtime music director who joined the company in 2006 and announced last year that he will step down at the end of the 2026 season. Conlon will take on the newly created role of conductor laureate.

In a statement, Hindoyan said he was deeply honored to become only the third music director in the company’s nearly 40-year history. “From the first rehearsal, I felt a strong connection to the extraordinary musicians, staff, and spirit of this company,” he said. “It is a privilege to follow Maestro James Conlon, whose legacy has shaped L.A. Opera into what it is today — a dynamic and ambitious institution.”

After considering “dozens” of candidates from around the world, L.A. Opera President and CEO Christopher Koelsch said he was “struck by the fluidity of his technique and the clarity and command of his musical ideas” after seeing Hindoyan at the Berlin State Opera in 2016. “His deeply collaborative nature and generous spirit in rehearsal make him a favorite among singers, who are inspired by the space he creates for musical risk-taking and expressive freedom.” Koelsch also praised Hindoyan’s “deep rapport with musicians and audiences alike.”

Hindoyan, 45, is originally from Caracas, Venezuela, and began his career as a violinist. Like departing Los Angeles Philharmonic Music Director Gustavo Dudamel, he attended Venezuela’s renowned public music education program known as El Sistema.

In addition to his role as chief conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, a role he has held since 2021, Hindoyan has served as principal guest conductor for the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra; he has conducted opera productions at New York City’s Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Berlin State Opera, Vienna State Opera, Paris Opera, Royal Swedish Opera, Dresden Semperoper, Madrid’s Teatro Real and Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu.

In a statement, Conlon said he was happy to pass the baton to someone who shares his passion for opera.

“Domingo is an artist of exceptional depth and imagination, and I know the company will welcome him warmly,” Conlon said.

Hindoyan’s five-year contract will begin July 1, 2026, and continue through the 2031 season. According to a Facebook post from Hindoyan, the new role in L.A. will run concurrently with his position with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

Hindoyan, son of Venezuelan violinist Domingo Garcia, a former president of the Orquesta Sinfónica Venezuela, is married to the soprano Sonya Yoncheva, who’s singing at the Metropolitan Opera in Tchaikovsky’s “The Queen of Spades.” (Performances are scheduled on Wednesday and Saturday.) The couple has two children and lives in Switzerland.

In late April, the album “Tchaikovsky: Souvenir de Florence & Symphony No. 6 ‘Pathetique,’” from Hindoyan and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, was released.

Story: Set in the semi-urban Telugu heartland, Shashtipoorthi revolves around Sriram (Rupeysh Choudhary), a morally upright public prosecutor whose life takes a personal turn when he helps Janaki (Aakanksha Singh) with a land dispute. Their encounter sparks a subtle romance, but Sriram’s real battle lies closer to home. His parents, Diwakar (Rajendra Prasad) and Bhuvana (Archana), are on the verge of separation ahead of their Shashtipoorthi (60th birthday celebration).

Review: Shashtipoorthi, directed by Pavan Prabha, follows a familiar yet heartfelt path, exploring themes of estrangement, reconciliation and the quiet resilience of familial bonds. Ilaiyaraaja’s soulful score and a couple of evocative songs, paired with the director’s nostalgic treatment of community life, give the film a warm and intimate texture.

The screenplay, however, falters. The narrative takes too long to reach its emotional centre, with several scenes in the first half feeling random. The core premise, which revolves around an earnest attempt to heal a fractured family, truly comes alive only in the latter half, which may test the patience of some viewers.

While the emotional arcs in the second half strike a chord, the film misses the opportunity to make the most of its veteran actors. Rajendra Prasad and Archana, though impactful when they appear together, are underutilised in the first half. Their dynamic needed more screen time and depth, given the emotional weight their characters carry.

Rupeysh Choudhary delivers a committed performance, and Aakanksha Singh supports him well. The supporting cast helps build the world convincingly, especially through community interactions that evoke a gentle nostalgia reminiscent of old-school Telugu family dramas.

Visually, the film is pleasing. The cinematography is clean and unobtrusive, capturing the grounded environment with sincerity. Production values are decent, lending authenticity to the narrative setting.

Despite its slow start and inconsistent screenplay, Shashtipoorthi redeems itself with moments that touch the heart. It’s a modest yet meaningful watch for those who enjoy reflective family dramas rooted in tradition and culture.